Travelogue - La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Before I went to Spain, I had never even heard of Gaudi. I must admit that I did not have much exposure to the world of art. Sure, I knew who all the famous people where, and I'd heard of all the famous paintings. But I just didn't get it. And it did take effort and a lot of understanding on my part, before I was able to appreciate the beauty behind an art piece. Sometimes I still struggle, but I'm slowly learning. 

If you venture into the city of Barcelona, his structures are everywhere. Buildings have been designed to reflect nature. When I first saw Sagrada Familia, I was in awe. I stopped in my tracks, the admire the size and grandeur of it. 

Why you should travel young

People normally say that your golden years are when you get to take time out to travel, see the world without having to worry about the future. I beg to differ.

Yes, traveling in your golden years does have its perks, but I feel that traveling should be done in the prime of your youth too.

Your 20s are the best time of your life to travel, have fun and do crazy things without having to worry about being judged. Well, we will probably still be judged, but not as harshly. Where else in life can you party without a care in the world, stay up till 3 or 4am in the morning and still have energy? Jump of a plane above the swiss alps or bungee jump down the Macau tower?

Traveling with friends.

Over the past few years, I've come to realise that traveling with friends can be tricky. It's hard to adapt to different traveling styles, especially when you are so used to your own. It's even harder to find someone with a similar travel style to you.

I am one person who can do without a plan, but horribly anal about meeting plane or other transport times. Other than that, I'm pretty adaptable. I'm the kind of traveler who knows what I want to get out of a place, and I'll be able to work out a plan once in the country, as long as I have internet access.

Then there are those who need to have every single detailed worked out to a t. There are also those who are chill, and want to take their own time to see the sights, and it doesn't matter if they accomplish much, as long as they have fun.

Everyone has developed their own travel style, whether they know it or not. Traveling with different groups of people is never easy, especially when everyone wants something different out of the experience, or when one is unenthusiastic. It's just difficult.

I've never traveled alone, and it's something that I will definitely want to do one day. Being a girl, I've got to let my mom let me go, and not worry so much. Hopefully I'll be able to do this in the near future. I'll start with a country when I am able to speak the local language.

There are friends whom I travel well with, because we're so used to each other. And friends whom I can only travel with for a few days or go on with a certain type of holiday. There was this friend, who I developed a strong rapport with - our traveling style worked in sync, and was almost like second nature. Unfortunately, that friendship is gone (another long story for another time), and I can only hope to find someone whom I can travel so comfortably and with such ease again.

It really makes the whole traveling experience different when you travel with someone who has the same interests, is able to look out for you and vice versa, and knows you well enough. Till then, I guess I'm searching for a travel buddy to take the world on with.

Apologies for the rant. I just miss sharing traveling experiences with that someone, and I'm kinda stuck in a rut now.

As much as I love traveling, there's no place like home. A little less than 24 hours before I see my family again. :)

Traveling is about self discovery.

I never knew I enjoyed traveling until I went on exchange last year. To me, traveling provides more life experiences than anything else. You meet with new people, experience crazy things that some people might not belief, but most importantly, you learn things about yourself that you never knew. 

No textbook or university will ever teach you that. 

Traveling taught me so many skills. How to adapt to situations. How to not be afraid to ask for help if you need it. How to appreciate local culture of the city you are in. How to enjoy the moment, and also take time to absorb the rich history of the places we visit. 

Traveling opens you up, in so many ways. It creates memories that will last you a lifetime. I believe that these are the moments that help define who you are. You can find peace atop a mountain, appreciate the finer things in life while watching the sunset. Appreciate how lucky and blessed you are, as you sit in a bus, and watch the sights roll past you. 

Not many people get to travel extensively. I've been blessed. And I hope, that my future, holds much more traveling.